A portable rainfall simulator used for sediment and runoff studies with different land treatments

Abstract

Sediment outflow and soil erosion is concern in worldwide. This study was conducted in the open field on experimental plots using different soil treatments and its effects on sediment outflow and runoff parameters under varying rainfall intensities and land slope conditions. The study involved large number of field experiments for various combinations of urea applications, surface vegetative conditions, land slopes, periods after urea application and rainfall intensities. To create controlled conditions of rainfall, artificial rainfall was generated by developing a portable rainfall simulation system. Five number of experimental plots of 3 m length and 1 m width were constructed and the soil of known properties was filled to create land slopes of 0%, 2%, 4%, 8% and 12% in these five number of experimental plots. As per mandate of this study, apart from control (No crop i.e., bare soil), maize crop land and marigold crop land and the conclusion states that maize crop and marigold crop treatment has an important role in the reduction of runoff and sediment outflow.